Technology · 3
In the mid-1990s, what was the approximate monthly cost of a standard AOL dial-up internet subscription before the company switched to unlimited flat-rate pricing in 1996?
Answer
Around $9.95 per month for a limited number of hours, with additional hourly charges beyond that
Before December 1996, AOL charged roughly $9.95 per month for approximately five hours of access, with each additional hour costing around $2.95. The switch to a $19.95 unlimited flat-rate plan in December 1996 caused such a surge in usage that AOL's network was overwhelmed, leading critics to dub it 'America On Hold.'
💡 Did you know?
AOL's dial-up dominance in the 1990s relied partly on sending millions of free trial CDs via mail, creating massive e-waste before recycling awareness existed.
Other options people guess
- Around $4.95 per month with unlimited access from launch
- Around $19.95 per month for unlimited access with no hourly caps
- Around $2.95 per month with a per-minute charge applied to every session
Topics
- 1990s
- aol
- dial-up
- internet-history
- pricing
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